Steel centres around point E, the site of a rocket launch. BLU must capture E by standing on it to win, while RED must defend it from being captured until the round timer counts down to zero.

BLU can capture point E at any time, but this is very difficult as the point requires certain classes to reach, and it is a slow point to capture and very exposed. To assist them in taking E, BLU may choose to attempt to capture the other four points instead, which reshape the map and extend the round timer to make it harder for RED to defend. These points, A through D, must be captured in order.

Capturing any point will extend the timer. Point A will open doors to point B, D, and E for BLU. Point B will open a door to point C, and move RED's spawn quite far away to point E. Capturing C makes bridges slowly extend to point E, so all classes can capture it. Capturing D puts railings on these bridges, and blocks off some of RED's spawn exits so they must travel the long way around to reach point E.

The large amount of potential choices to be made on this map, for both RED and BLU teams, makes it an excellent arena for skilled strategists and good team players.

When Point A is lost, it is very hard for the defending team to fall back to B fast enough, especially for the Engineer. Because of this, most teams don't put much effort into defending A. It is usually a bad idea to pop uber at point A. The engineer will often skip it entirely and build at B during the setup period.

When a sentry is built on A, it is typically built on Ramp. This gives the sentry a view of enemies peeking Cliff as well as enemies contesting Yard.

Sentries are also sometimes built near Red Spawn. While this gives the Engineer an easier escape route, it makes the sentry much more vulnerable to demo spam from over the cliff.

There is a currently a map exploit where a Pyro can shoot flames through Big Door. It only works from the Lobby side. Flames cannot be shot back from the Point A side. This may or may not be considered legal in your league, so just be aware of it and don't stand near the door. As an attacker, do not send your Pyro to shoot through the door. The Pyro is more useful in the fight, rather than trying to get cheap kills using a map exploit.

Keep in mind that stickies (or even a sentry) can easily be hidden in Drop-Down. It is often a better idea to move back through spawn to contest B.

"Beck" gets its name from being the "B-E-C" connector, which spelled out is pronounced "Beck".

When defending, be aware that the enemy can come behind through Beck.

Sometimes attackers will even sneak a sentry and teleporter into Beck. This allows Blu to contest Point B from behind, as well as immediately contest Point C as soon as Point B is taken. This also allows easy access to Point E.

When defending Point B, the Engineer will usually build on either Platform or Truck. Either place will heavily rely on the wrangler in order to make the sentry useful.

When defending, the Sniper can get a decent view from the windows in Secret, however it is difficult to fall back to a safe location if the point is taken.

When calling out locations, be sure your team knows the difference between Drop-Down and Secret. It's an easy confusion since they both have areas where players can drop down.

When defending, Point C is a point that Red team should commit to defending. This is a point that can win the game for red if held long enough. This is because red spawn is so close to Point C, and the Red team is easily able to fall back through spawn to start defending Point D. The combination of these two factors makes it an easy point to defend.

When attacking, Blu team can try to send their Scout or Soldier to contest Point E to try and draw some players away from Point C.

When defending, the Red Engineer will typically build a Sentry on Balcony. For a better wrangling position, the Sentry can also be built on Bridge.

When defending, stickies can be placed on the grate ceiling of Lower, and when detonated, they will harm people in both Beck and Lower. This may or may not be considered legal in your league.

When attacking, contesting point D using the C-D Connector can be tempting but risky. This is because it goes past two active Red spawn doors. This should only be done with either Uber advantage or advantage in numbers. Otherwise, it is safer to regroup in lobby. While this does take longer, it's better to not to risk losing your combo.

Because the doors connecting red spawn to Point E become locked when Point D is taken, Point D is a critical point for defenders to hold on to. Point E is much harder to defend if Point D is lost.

When defending, the Red Engineer will often not build a sentry on point D. The spawn doors locking after Point D is taken makes it very difficult to build a sentry on E.

When a sentry is built on D, it is typically built at the top of Stairs. From there, the sentry will be able to reach every point of the room except for Elbow, which requires wrangling to scare off enemies harassing the sentry.

When attacking Points D and E, it is wise to get a teleporter set up. The most common places to set up a sentry nest are Control Room, Beck, and Secret (near point B). Control room is the ideal place, since it gives easy access to both D and E points. A teleporter in Beck or Secret is only useful when contesting Point E.